Nanofiber Wipes for Decontamination of Equipment/Structures

C56-24b-274053 Removal of contaminant remains one of the most significant cost components of the decontamination. Development of a low-cost nanofiber-based cleaning media suitable for efficient decontamination, with a wide range of desired characteristics meeting the required performance targets is the subject of this project. This Small Business Innovation Research Phase I project aims to design, develop, and produce a new cost competitive polymer nanofiber-based cleaning media employing electrospinning technology. The cleaning media will be produced using organic, and ion exchanging polymers. This cleaning media will be composed of a robust organic polymer and ionomer with backbone network of sub-micron diameter fibers electrospun from a thermally and chemically stable polymer. During Phase I, the ionically conducting hydrocarbon polymers will be synthesized and fiber spinning process for cleaning media production will be fully developed; the resultant media will be characterized in terms of microstructural features, mechanical, and chemical stability, and decontamination performance. The prospective Phase II work shall address long-term media durability and development of manufacturing processes to meet the cost targets. The proposed development will lead to development of chemical decontamination wipes that will increase nuclear dust cleaning efficiency during decontamination process and protect environment from the threat of dangerous releases of radiological and or chemical compounds inherent to the decontamination operation. The commercial application of technology is in decontamination market (i.e., Decontamination & Decommissioning (D&D), nuclear industry, weapons plants, DOE laboratories, nuclear material pallet encapsulation, radio pharmaceutical, nuclear medicine, radioisotope leak detection, wipe test kits, among others. If funded and successfully completed, the project will accelerate local manufacturing and create much needed manufacturing jobs in the US.